Sight Beyond Sight
by Lumino
Summary: Focus too much on seeing with your eyes, and you may miss things that are right in front of you. Sequel to 'Don't Cry'.
1. Departure

_Finally getting off my ass to write the sequel. I cannot promise that many of you will like this for the same reasons you liked 'Don't Cry'. We're gonna find out here. But the best way to start something is with a fight! So let's get the blood pumping!_

-Sight Beyond Sight, Chapter 1: Departure-

The resounding clang of steel reverberated through the empty training hall. Well, nearly empty. Two fighters stood opposed to each other, tempered blade leveled against study lance. The more skilled of the pair pulled the lance back and twirled it above his head with a grin.

"Come on! You wanted me to teach you how to use that thing, then give me all you've got!" He called, provoking his opponent with a wave of his hand. The other fighter was clearly of noble birth, the stance and decorations made it obvious. They leveled the jeweled sword and charged, bringing it down with a quick slash, and then going to follow it with a second. The move was flawed, as the lanceman could tell the first attack was a ruse and let it pass. With a sharp twist of the lance, he stole his opponents legs away, as they landed on the ground with a groan.

"That's fifteen rounds, my liege. Anymore and they'll have my head for injuring you." The lanceman responded with a grin, extending his hand to the now annoyed prince.

"One of these days Magnus, I'll wipe that smile off of your face in the ring." The young Lord of Bilibin, Elindow, spoke.

"Well, before you do that, you'll actually need to hit me!" The soldier named Magnus responded with a laugh, returning the lance to his side as Elindow walked to the window. The sun had begun to set, they'd been here for hours training. He knew he was getting better, but he needed to be stronger still. There was no way he'd be strong enough to make his own way like this.

"Say Magnus." He said, not turning to look at the young soldier. "What would you call true strength?"

Magnus just sighed. The soldier, barely a man himself, had been in service to the house for nearly ten years. First as a Paige, and now as a squire. He was only a year or two younger then Elindow, but they'd become fast friends in his time here. "You're thinking about the Queen of Morgal again, aren't you. It was Sveta, right?" He chuckled. "Look man, she's out of your league." He rubbed his jaw in memory. "I've never seen _anyone_ fight like that before...what a women."

Elindow recalled seeing Magnus as once of the first to charge the stage to try and help him during the wedding disaster. And as a result, he was one of the first to feel the wrath of Sveta's fists. Thankfully, unconsciousness came quickly for the youth. "I don't mean like that." He said, shaking his head. "And besides, I don't like her like that. She's just a friend."

"Uh huh. _Suuuuure_ she is." Magnus responded with a chuckle. "Look, you've clearly already got your own ideas. So why are you asking me?"

Elindow paused for a moment. "I guess, I just wanted someone else to agree with me. Let me know I'm not crazy."

"Frankly, I think you are crazy. But it's your choice, so do what you want with it. One thing is for sure though."

Elindown turned to look at his friend as the younger soldier removed his helmet, shaking out his blond hair. "You're gonna need a _lot_ of practice if you measure your strength by beating me."

The two friends shared a moment of laughter before the sun set behind the horizon. As darkness covered his dominion, the young Lord could only feel excitement that he would not see the dawn from these wall in the morn.

* * *

><p>"No, no, no! One thousand times no!" The impulsive king almost shouted, his voice echoing around the halls. "Takeru is still missing, I will not allow you to simply leave on a whim. Out of the question!" The servants were quite used to the king's emotional outbursts, but this was a level of ferocity that even they seemed stunned by. However, the source of his frustration stood her ground, looking up at her father with a calm and serene expression.<p>

"I have told you honored father, there is a dark star rising in the north. I have seen it. If we do not act quickly, then the light we have fought for may well be extinguished."

"Yes, yes." Susa growled. "We heard your prophetic declaration this morning."

"And you still refuse to believe. The third eye shows me the path, honored father. I cannot remain here and do nothing." She recited the proclamation she had made in her trance this morning, as if to solidify the issue. "The dark and light balance on the edge of a co-" But Susa interrupted her with a shout.

"Speak no more of that curse! I wish not to hear it again!" He waved his hand at her, and her face softened instantly as she walked up to her father.

"Father. I must do this. Much as you slew the mighty Serpent and saved mother, this is something I must do. I know this, and you do as well."

Susa seemed to have accepted the inevitability of this. He was never going to be able to win against Himi when she got like this. She'd never had this kind of stubbornness before, but after her journey, she was not the quiet girl she used to be. She was always respectful and kind, but she was no longer the child to blindly obey the orders of her father. "I know you must Himi, but we cannot risk it. I cannot remove out boats from patrolling the waters, Sana would sense the weakness and attack. Even were I to let you go, I have no way to provide you the protection you would require."

Himi smiled, and walked to her father, bowing respectfully to him. "Honored father, I request only a single vessel, and only the men needed to steer it."

Susa nearly lost his mind. No guards, no escorts? For his little girl? Unthinkable! He was about to launch into another explosion of words when a soft female voice came from the back.

"Himi...you are leaving again?"

"Yes, honored mother." The Yamatan princess spoke. "I have been called by fate, I must answer."

Kushinada nodded, placing her hand on Susa's shoulder. "My love. Let us give our daughter what she requires and our blessings. She has certainly become strong enough to take care of herself." She said with a smile. Susa seemed at a loss for words.

"What kind...of wretched father cannot protect his own children?" He mused, seeming much older then he had a few moments ago as all the fight seemed to leave him. "Very well. I shall have the fastest vessel in all of Izumo to take you where you desire." He relented, as Himi bowed and left the chambers. He sank into his throne, sighing.

"At least she isn't traveling with that deplorable pirate anymore." He said, considering it a small victory.

* * *

><p>Night had fallen completely. There was the slightest of moons out tonight, but it was close enough to a New Moon that it would not matter. The rummaging of cloth and metal in the room would seem odd to any outside, but thankfully none were there to ponder on it. Elindow looked over his attire with the light from the smoldering coals in the fire place. Simple and inconspicuous. He'd packed food, bedding, his weapon, and other necessary supplies. Tonight he would leave Bilibin. When he returned, perhaps he might be worthy of the rank he held. But he wanted to become his own man, to find himself in the real world. As he finished packing what he was taking with him, he closed the straps on the large pack and moved over to the window. Throwing a length of rope out of castle, he looked down. It descended all the way to the garden below, excellent.<p>

He was about to put his foot on the ledge when the creaking of the door behind him made him spin around. Damn it, he'd been discovered. If he didn't get out of here quickly he'd never get the chance again. However, the figure that stood in the hallway was nobody he recognized. They wore a large cloak, and the hands seemed to glint as if made of metal. The right hand was dripping something from a long protrusion...blood? As the figure began moving towards him, Elindow felt his breath catch in his throat.

_'An Assassin_'

And then everything seemed to happen at once. His head pounded, the world seemed to spin, the assassin seemed to stumble, loosing their footing and falling to the ground in surprise. A low shout of pain as the assassin's hand fell onto the coals. They reached back quickly, causing the claw on the right hand, which was indeed covered in blood, to clatter to the floor. The sound of metal boots on the stones outside the door drew their attention, and the assassin fled through the still open door, vanishing from sight. Elindow wasn't all there, but by the time the owner of the steps had arrived he'd realized a few troubling pieces of information. Magnus stood in the doorway for a moment, and then entered the room.

"Holy...Eli! You ok? Where's the wound? Did they-"

Elindow held up his hand. "I'm fine. They left when they heard you coming. We need to get out of here." He said, rising to his feet and grabbing the pack.

"Yeah." Magnus said, looking to the door. "The guards should be getting dressed out, most of them are reporting to the royal chambers."

Elindow paused for a moment. "The royal chambers...?"

Magnus looked to the side, not meeting Elindow's eyes. "You...weren't the only target. Your mom is missing...and you father was..."

Elindow would have felt sadness, but he was too worried about survival right now. So that was whose blood was on the claws...but wait a minute, those claws. "We need to get out of the castle, _now_." He said, moving towards the window.

"Whoa whoa whoa! Are you crazy? There'll be nothing to protect you out there! The assassin could get to you like that!" Magnus said, moving in front of him. "Look, I know you want to make those Morgal bastards pay but-"

"It was not a Morgal assassin." Elindow said, silencing Magnus. "But we were meant to think it was. Smell that?" He asked. Magnus sniffed the air and shook his head. "Exactly. Beastmen are covered in fur. Burnt hair has a very strong odor. The assassin burned their hand in the fire, but yet there is no scent. The assassin was using a weapon that was already here, the claws that the Morgal Queen had with her when she was imprisoned. Why wouldn't they bring their own weapons? And how did they manage to get all the way to the royal chambers and here so quickly if they did not already know the layout of the castle and the guard routes? Too many questions." He said, placing his foot on the ledge. "I'm leaving. And if you want to protect me, you better come with." He added, and without waiting further he began lowering himself into the courtyard.

Magnus had to agree, they were all legitimate questions. And they all pointed to the same thing, someone in the castle was trying to kill him and pin the blame on Morgal. But who would have anything to gain from something like that?

"Damn it, Damn it, Damn it!" He cursed, grabbing the rope and lowering himself down after the fleeing prince.

* * *

><p>"Lady Himi! Please take cover bellow decks!" One of the crew members shouted, trying to usher her as the battle began around them. They were hardly out of sight of Izumo when a Sanan ship had appeared off of the horizon and begun advancing. Even now, the boat drew closer and they could see archers lining the decks.<p>

"Captain!" The lookout called. "They are saying to strike our flag and lower the sails!"

"Surrender?" The captain echoed. "Never! We fight to the death for the honor of our liege!"

Himi walked calmly up to the captain, and bowed formally. She seemed completely unaware of what was happening around them...or maybe she understood it better then anyone else. "Captain sir. Please break towards the west. I see our deliverance from these foes in that direction.

The captain stared down at her, clearly thinking her mad. "West? That will take us straight to Tonfon!"

Himi stood on the deck, staring west, and closed her eyes. "Yes. West leads us to our salvation. All other roads lead to ruin. All hands, break to the west for the honor of Lord Susa!" She shouted, her tiny voice carrying a surprising amount. The sailors seemed at once confused by her outburst, and shocked by her taking command. The captain looked as shocked as the rest of them.

"Well you heard her! Trim the sails and grab that headwind! Take us west with all speed!"

* * *

><p><em>And so ends chapter one. A bit of a prologue, to give the readers a little introduction to what is going on. I'm going to give it a go on actually giving Himi a personality in this story. Not sure how well it'll go, but we'll soon find out. And before anyone asks, yes the title is a nod to 'Thundercats'. It also holds a meaning for the story, so gimme a break. See ya next chapter!<em>


	2. Unknown Mystery

_Did you forget about me? Just the other day I got a few really awesome writing ideas, so I decided to go revisit this. Who knows, maybe my return will inspire some other authors to finish their works?_

* * *

><p>-Sight Beyond Sight, Chapter 2: Unknown Mystery-<p>

"Sir!" Came the soldiers voice as he stood before his captain. The garb they wore marked them as obvious servants of the Sanan Empire. "The lookout reports that the vessel is turning to flee."

The captain swirled a glass of alcohol around in his hand, taking a sip before placing it down and rising to look at the map. "Good. Send her running back to Izumo. We don't need her out poking her nose where it doesn't belong."

"...Sir, they are not retreating to the east..." His subordinate spoke slowly, before finishing. "They are breaking west...towards Tonfon." He said, slightly worried.

The captains eyes glared up, then back down at the map. He leaped up and threw the glass into the wall, where it shattered. "Damn it all! Get in front of that ship and stop them! I don't care if you have to kill them all, just keep that royal wench alive! I want that ship under the waves before we are in sight of the main land!" He ordered with a bark, and the subordinate saluted quickly before exiting the chambers. The captain growled as he looked over the map, all manner of marking made upon it.

How could she possibly have known?

* * *

><p>If Himi was so sure that 'The West brings salvation', her crew clearly thought her mad for it. None the less, the captain had placed his trust in her, and they all knew better then to disobey him. "Any idea what we're looking for?" He asked her as the waves crashed against the speeding ship, with the Sanan vessel growing closer every moment.<p>

Himi didn't have the heart to tell him no, instead she was looking at the ship coming up on their stern. "Why are they trying to cut us off so desperately? A bit closer and we'd be within sight of the mainland, and Tonfon would certainly send reinforcements?"

"They probably want the glory in capturing you all to themselves. You'd best get bellow decks princess. Battle may start soon." The captain noted, throwing the wheel hard to swing them out of the range of the archers. Many volleys had been fired, but they had only hit the sides or crashed harmlessly into the waves. Still, they were getting closer with every shot. Soon those arrows would be raining death upon the deck of the ship.

"Whatever miracle you saw, we better find it soon or it won't matter." He said through gritted teeth.

* * *

><p>"Captain! Captain!" The younger man said, running into the captain's quarters and instantly falling flat on his back as a wooden mug smacked him in the face.<p>

"Gaaah...not so loud will ya? I gotta hangover that'd down Posidon 'emself." The red haired captain remarked as he held his throbbing head. The rocking of the boat usually helped him with his hangovers, oddly enough, but today was a bad one for it.

The younger sailor rubbed his face, but then remembered his message. He spoke urgently, but softer. "Captain, lookout spotted two ships fighting off the port bow, looks like Izumo and Sana."

Eoleo waved his hand. "So? We don't get involved in their fights, we have enough of our own. We just rob the supply convoys, you know that." He groaned, rolling over to take a nap.

"Captain. The Izumo ship is flying the royal flag."

And that got the pirate up and moving, to his feet before his legs had fully caught up with him. He placed his hand on the wall to steady himself. "Well what are we waiting for? Get those sails drawn, I'm on the helm! And get those new toys ready! I want to try them out on our new friends!" He said, making his way to the deck much faster then a normal man with a hangover should have.

Something told him it was her.

* * *

><p>Things had been going badly. In the next few minutes, the Sanan ship had closed, and then death swiftly followed them. Their bows had greater range, allowing them to rain death down on the Izumo vessel with no fear of counter attack. Himi refused to leave the deck, instead trying to help others where she could. Miraculously, she always seemed to stand where the arrows were not hitting, like she could see where they were going to land.<p>

The healing, however, did not go so well. There were too many arrows coming down, and people were dying to fast, for her to heal their wounds. Even Amiti and Rief would be hard pressed in this much chaos. Blood covered the deck, onto her royal attire since she was kneeling at the sides of a particularly injured soldier. There had to be less then half a dozen people on the deck alive right now. The captain had taken an arrow right through his lung in the first wave, death had been mercifully quick for him. The others were not so lucky, moaning in agony and fear as their lives slipped away. Had she read the signs wrong? Was this the wrong choice?

No, she refused to believe it. Something would happen, she just needed to have faith. At that moment, she felt herself run into and thrown to the deck. When she looked up, she was alone. One of the last soldiers had pushed her out of the way of the last arrow wave, and had taken over a dozen to his chest for it. Death must have been instantanious as his blood spilled over the treated wood.

Alone, it was all on her now. How could she possibly hope to fend off such a large force, and more to the point how would she get out of here if she did? The arrows stopped coming, as the boat approached her. They were going to board...and they were going to capture her, to use her as a bargaining chip against her father. Was this her survival? No, she refused to believe it. Something good would come of it.

And as soon as that thought passed through her mind, a deafening roar was heard from the south. Himi's head whipped around, but all she saw was a plume of smoke on the horizon. Too difficult to tell what it came from. A tremendous crash from the other boat stole her attention back, and she turned to see the mast splinter from it's housing, falling among the waves.

* * *

><p>"Ready the next gun!" The captain called as he took his hands off of the large metal tube, nearly glowing red from heat. He moved roughly ten feet over, to where a similar contraption was set up, and he eyed the ships on the horizon as the pirate vessle sped along the seas. His vision was still a little hazy, but he wasn't a sailor for nothing as he placed his hands on this cool barrel.<p>

_Thermal!_ He called, feeling the barrel heat up. And then, as the heat reached it's peak, an explosion as a large metal ball flew forth from the boat, arcing through the sky. The shot was true, and slammed into the Sanan vessle right below the water line.

"Hit! Right below the water in the center section! Crippling shot sir!" The lookout shouted, and Eoleo wasted no time flipping over the railing to get back behind the wheel of his ship. With sails, this ship was fast. With his Psynergy, there was no faster ship in the Eastern Sea. "All right then! Let's move in and finish em off!"

As the ship sped along the waves, the chance was not afforded them. The Sanan ship groaned and creaked, before plunging beneath the waves rapidly. No people seemed to be coming up from it...

"Captain...the ship, she's sank." The lookout reported quietly. Eoleo grumbled. "They scuttled it. No way that one shot would have sunk them that fast. All right mates, get to that Izumo ship and find survivors! Two dingys out and check for any wreckage of the Sanan ship!" He barked out, sending the deck into a flurry of activity.

It wasn't long before the young princess was hoisted onto the familiar ship, covered in blood and looking on the verge of tears, but physically all right. Eoleo had sent her bellow deck immediately. Even pirates had a heart, and he always had a weak spot for the little one. It wasn't until his men had all returned that he was on his way to visit and speak with her. He was stopped, however, by one of the salvagers.

"Cap'n, hold on a sec. We found something odd..." He said, pulling a drenched piece of cloth from the 'Salvage Sack' he carried. Eoleo recognized it immediately, a Sanan flag. It must have been on the mast when they severed it.

"What's so odd about a flag? You know how these guys are about their nations." He said, waiting for the explanation. In response, the younger sailor handed the flag towards Eoleo, who grabbed it and instantly realized something was wrong. He ran the material through his fingers with a puzzled expression. "They were flying this?"

"Yes sir." Came the reply.

Eoleo paused for a moment. Now that _was_ odd. He never had a mind for puzzles like this, and if he knew Himi she wouldn't let it go until she'd...wait. Why was she even out here alone? "Stow it." Eoleo said. "I've gotta talk with our guest. Set a course for the Northern Sea, I've got a feeling we're gonna need to go that way."

"Aye Captain!" The sailor responded, the deck once again becoming a flurry of activity.

Eoleo knocked, though it seemed quite odd. It was his ship, _his _room, but he was still courteous towards his guests. His _crew_ on the other hand...

No sound was made on the other side of the door, and Eoleo opened it slowly, slightly concerned. Inside, Himi was sitting in the middle of the floor, staring off into space. When she saw the door move, she seemed to snap out of the trance. "Oh! H-Hello again Eoleo. Thank you." She said, bowing to him as she stood up.

"Hey now princess, what are friends for, right?" He looked at her, she certainly did not look well. Probably quite distraught from all the death she'd seen. They had, of course, seen a lot of it on their adventure, but Himi had never handled it well. She'd put on a strong face, but all of them could tell how much it bothered a girl like her. And why shouldn't it? She was quite young, and very naive as well. More then once she'd woken up from a nightmare while they were traveling. Eoleo, being the eldest one there, had taken a shining to the little girl, sort of acting like her teddy bear. If any of his crew saw it, they knew better then to say anything about it.

In some ways, this little girl was sort of like his adopted daughter. And he didn't mind that at all really. She was polite, sweet, and cute as a button. Not to mention pretty tough in a fight, what more could one ask for?

"All right." He said, clapping his hands. "We've gotta get you out of those clothes, bloodstained doesn't suit you." He said, kicking open a chest in the back of the room. He rummaged for a moment as Himi looked at him oddly, clearly curious as to what Eoleo could possibly have in that chest for her.

"Ah, here we go!" He said, throwing out several pieces of clothing. Most of them seemed...hard. Leather? "Might be a bit rougher then your used to, but it's really all I've got. Plus it'll help ya blend in with the rest of us rowdy sailors." He remarked as Himi examined the foreign clothing with her child like curiosity. Seemed like a brigandine similar to what Eoleo wore, with the small back cape and all. The pants were more a boys fit, but they were about the right size, so they should fit ok.

"Where did you get this?" She asked, finding it odd that Eoleo would have clothing for someone her size in his personal belongings.

Eoleo just grinned as he turned to leave the room. "They were mine when I was about your age and my old man was teaching me sailing. They should fit ya fine, but they might be a little big. You'll grow into em!" He closed the door and waited in the hallway. The sounds of shuffling cloth and connecting claps sticking out over the sounds of the waves crashing against the hull. Finally the door opened, and Eoleo tried hard to repress a laugh at what he saw.

From the feet up, Himi looked like she could actually pass for a cabin boy, until one got to the hair. That dual braided hair with those odd ornaments just did _not_ work with this.

Eoleo could not manage to hold it back, and started to laugh, causing an embarrassed blush from the young princess. "That hair ain't gonna look right like that. Ya mind?" He asked before touching it. He knew how important hair dressings were to other cultures, and he didn't want to risk offending her.

"No. You are right, I should travel in disguise." She nodded, removing the ornate decorations from her hair, and letting it fall behind her, down her back. Eoleo nodded, looking over it.

"Hmmm...Still too long, it'd get caught in stuff like that. Suppose we..." And his hands were inside of her hair, working the stands with a skill and grace that Himi would not have expected. She'd have to ask him about that later. Within a few minutes, he'd worked her hair into a simple ponytail, and she could sense that he was reaching for something. He seemed to wrap the rope of hair up, something like a modified bun that seemed quite silly to her, but then she felt something else...cloth? After a moment more, he gave her a pat on the head with a simple. "Done!" As he stepped back, looking over his newest 'sailor'.

Himi had no idea what she looked like, and simply stared down at her attire, quite unsure how she looked. Eoleo chuckled, and grabbed a small piece of mirrored glass from next to a razor on the side table. "Sorry that we don't have those big mirrors you must be used to. Careful, don't cut yourself." He warned as she took the glass and stared at her reflection.

The brigandine was oddly large on her, Eoleo called that, but it seemed to fit ok. It was heavy, but she would learn to endure it. The boots were uncomfortable, but she much preferred their practicality to her sandals. Finally she looked at her hair, to see what Eoleo had done, instead seeing a bright red piece of cloth. He'd wrapped her hair up in a bandana, and it really added a lot to her look of a 'sailor'.

"And all it takes to turn a Yamatan Princess into a Champan Pirate is a little wardrobe change!" He said with a smile, managing to pull one out of her as well. He decided now was as good a time as any. "So princess, down to business. What on Weyard are you doing all the way out here?" He asked, spinning a chair around and sitting down as he placed his arms on the back of it, leaning towards her.

Himi's response was delayed for a moment, but she didn't hide it. "I had a vision. I feel, I need to go north. I'm not sure where exactly...but I know there is something important that way."

Eoleo chuckled. "Go figure, that was where we were heading too. See, we seemed to find something rather funny from that other ship. I wanted someone whose good at this whole mystery and riddle stuff to take a look at it. Thankfully, I know exactly where that Momma's Boy is heading.

Himi arched an eyebrow. There was only one person she knew that Eoleo called a 'Momma's Boy'.

* * *

><p>"So" Magnus said, as he and his companion made their way through the valley that connected Bilibin and Imil. "Tell me again, from the top."<p>

Elindow sighed slightly. He just couldn't get Magnus to believe him. Not like he blamed him, it was a rather wild story. But nothing else made sense, nothing else worked. "All right. My father was killed, my mother was missing, and then the assassin came to my room. You know how the patrols were stepped up since the wedding disaster, so how did they avoid them all? They didn't use the windows, because if they did they would have entered my room that way. They entered from the hall, which means they were moving through the halls. In order for them to navigate the guards, they would need to know the guard paths, to find the blind spots in the patrols. The assassin used a set of claws that were captured from the Morgal Queen, Sveta. Maybe half a dozen people have access to those and even knew they were here. Me, General Alastor, my parents and maybe a pair of servants." He paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts. "They were used so we would think the assailant was a Beastman, but when the assailant burned their hand in my fireplace, the smell of burnt hair was absent."

Magnus interrupted here. "Yeah, about that. You said you never touched the assassin, so how did they fall into the fire? They just slipped? I doubt that."

Elindow stopped for a moment, not really sure if he should say what had happened. Well, no sense keeping secrets now. "I cannot say, really. It all happened too fast. But I remember the ground shaking, like some kind of an earthquake or something." Magnus arched an eyebrow and let him continue, though he filed this away to be asked about later.

"Anyway, the assailant fled, and that was when you showed up. So, all the evidence points to the assassin being someone inside the castle, and someone who would have a lot to gain from the Royal Line ending, even more from implicating Morgal in it. Maybe someone who holds a vendetta against Morgal?" He started.

Magnus began to glare at the crown prince. Rank or not, this was not something to be joked about. "General Alastor, that is where you are trying to lead me, right?"

"It's the only thing that makes sense!" Elindow countered.

"The man practically raised me Eli! I've known him since I joined as a Paige, he's taught me everything about being a knight! From strength of arms to wisdom and patience to loyalty! I am not going to believe that he just tried to assassinate the entire royal family he pledged his life to!"

Elindow looked at him with a stubborn expression. "You have another answer?"

The silence between the friends was painful, before Magnus uttered a curse. "...Damn it."

The sun began to set, and the two friends silently made camp, still divided on the truth of the issue before them. Elindow hadn't thought his adventure would start like this, but he knew he could not return home until he'd solved it.

This was his adventure, and he would see it through to the end.


	3. Friends and Family

Sitting on an eight hour train ride from Buffalo to NYC for the holidays, and the person behind me is talking on their phone the _entire_ trip. Well, no sleep for me, so I might as well be productive!

Been a while, I know. I've had some really great ideas for this story, but lacked the time to put them to paper. Let's try to fix that with this one.

Sight Beyond Sight: Chapter 3

* * *

><p>Mountains sucked. The young boy had known this for a very long time, but it hadn't been until this adventure of theirs that he was truly given the time or experience to really understand this fervent dislike. They were hard, cold (which he didn't usually mind), and always contained a decent risk for falling and breaking something. Be that as it may, this was the quickest way to his destination, as much as he detested it.<p>

He paused as the final destination came into view, as he began working to descend the mountain. There was a kind of path across these mountains, but only the natives knew of them or dared to travel them. The mountains would surely claim anyone else foolish enough to take them lightly. He paused, looking back slightly and waiting for his companion to catch up to him.

"Kraden, be careful!" The young healer called back to the surprisingly spry old man. To spite his age, Kraden had scaled mountains and walked through ruins with the rest of them, almost with ease. Guess that power of the Golden Sun really did grant him some boons.

"Now now, I know I taught you patience Rief!" The elderly sage called back, clicking his tongue slightly as he paused to examine something odd along the cliff face. Rief sighed, Kraden was always getting distracted by things like this, anything out of place had to be examined. And while normally he would be all for it, today he had a goal in mind. And these distractions were keeping him from his goal.

"Come on Kraden, we don't want to be out here when the sun goes down!" He called back, waving for the old man to catch up. Kraden just sighed and pressed forward, looking back at the missed opportunity wistfully.

"Yes yes, I know. You want to go home to make sure your mother is all right. But you needen't worry, Mia is one of the most powerful Adepts in the world, and the greatest healer I have ever known. I am sure Imil is just fine." He explained, catching up to Rief and joining him in the trip down the mountain.

"Yeah but **I'm** not. She's probably worried about me and Nowell, so I really do want to let her know that we're ok." Rief countered, to which Kraden rebuffed quickly.

"If that was it, we could have simply sent a letter through my bird. But you wanted to come home, so it's fine. I do look forward to seeing the effects the Eclipse had on Mercury Lighthouse." He mused, seeing the cerulean spire off to the north, as they both pushed west.

"First things first Kraden, it is too late to go exploring for today. The sun will be down in about an hour or so, and I really don't want to be far from Imil when that happens."

Kraden nodded. "On that, we can agree. These old bones don't feel like dealing with an Imilian night."

Rief held his staff back to help guide Kraden down the mountain slopes, although the tricky old man likely didn't need it.

* * *

><p>Magnus remembered people saying that there had once been a cave that separated Imil and Bilibin. Whatever had happened to it, it didn't exist between the two places anymore. Instead it was a long valley between two mountain peeks that lead north, towards the annex of Bilibin. Eli had insisted in going to Imil, and neither of them were sure why. Magnus figured it wouldn't be too long before some guards got wind of Eli missing and began searching all over Angara. But if they expected Morgal, they'd likely look east, or maybe south. They'd never think to check further into Bilibin controlled territory. The sun was setting, it would be time to make camp soon. He looked back at the crown prince, and sighed.<p>

Tensions had been running high the last few days. The discussion about General Alastor had been one part, but now it was more simple things. Eli had never been out of the castle, he had almost no idea how to take care of himself. He didn't complain at 'roughing it' but he still was nearly useless for anything. He couldn't cook, gather food, and it had taken lessons for him to learn how to start a fire. And he was still a novice at that. He had some sparring practice under his belt, but Magnus knew if they got into trouble he wasn't going to let Eli anywhere near combat. That would just be asking for trouble.

"Hey Eli, we should probably make camp here. It's getting pretty late, and we'll have to get started early to make good time." Magnus spoke to the prince, who looked up at him and nodded.

"Very well, I'll start making camp if you wish to try and hunt." He said. Not trying to shirk responsibilities, this was just the routine they'd gotten into. Magnus nodded without a word and started off to hunt for game. This was going to be a long trip...and why were they even making it? Did Eli have some grand master plan that he wasn't sharing, or was he just acting without thinking? When they reached Imil, then what?

He sighed in frustration, and then went silent, prowling the forest for their evening meal.

* * *

><p>A sharp rap on the door greeted her ears. The healer of Imil had not expected any visitors this late. Most of her appointments had been earlier in the day, but her last one finished only an hour ago. The Eclipse had kept her busy, but the fatalities in Imil had been almost non existent. Mia had moved the civilians to the Lighthouse, which the creatures seemed unable to enter. From there, she would go out for whatever food she could find, being that the creatures posed no threat to her. She was at her peak of ability, and that meant she could easily dispatch some of these shadow creatures.<p>

She pushed herself from this memory, and moved to open the door to the familiar and comforting cabin. When she saw who was on the other side of it, a wide smile split her face.

"Rief! Oh welcome home!" She said, grabbing her song in a warm hug. "I was so worried about you tw-" She paused, looking at Kraden, and then the odd lack of a person. "Where is your sister?" She asked Rief, the first hints of worry starting to fill her voice.

Kraden just smiled though. "No need to worry Mia. Nowell is safe and sound in the company of Piers. It is a rather long story." He said, in anticipation of her next question. Mia, however, relaxed markedly at this information.

"Piers hmm? It seems you've been busy. And _you_." She said, accusingly pointing a finger at Kraden, though she was smiling. "Why do I feel that you had a hand in what has been happening lately?"

Kraden chuckled slightly. "Your wisdom continues to serve you well. It is quite a story to tell, if we may come in?" He said.

Mia gasped, realizing she'd kept them standing in the doorway, and ushered them inside. As Rief passed his mother, she watched him curiously. "You've grown...it seems you had your own adventure." And she knew it to be true. First of all, he was practically exploding with excitement. Waiting to shower stories of their travels and all of the things they'd found. But there was a certain confidence in the way he walked, something he did not posses before he left. Then again, everyone had said the same to her when she returned to Imil after her own adventure.

"Come on in, relax, and tell me all about it." She said to her son, putting on a pot of tea as the stories began to flow forth.

It was several hours later when the stories had finally stemmed. Not for being over, of course, but simply due to exhaustion taking it's toll on the boy. As the stories went on and on, Mia listened with rapt attention. It reminded her of the old days, how much fun those had been. And she would not deny to being a bit lonely as of late. Her family moved on, her friends far away, it seemed that it was just her and her patients.

She sat by the dwindling fire, sipping the last of a cup of tea, while she was considering this. The clacking of wood on the ground behind her made her crack a half smile.

"Something wrong, Kraden?" She asked him without turning her head.

"Tut tut, I do believe that is my line." He said, sitting down next to her. "Your son has grown up into a fine man, so why do you seem so depressed by that?" He asked her.

Mia paused, not certain how she wanted to say it. "It's nothing really. But in some ways, he reminds me of Alex." She interrupted a perceived interjection by Kraden. "I know, I know. Rief is nothing like Alex. But the way Alex _used_ to be...it's very similar. It's probably nothing."

"Well...about that." Kraden said, looking up at her with a troubled expression. "We did run into Alex on the quest, I am sure it was him. But there was someone else that you should know of as well."

Mia sighed at the mention of Alex being alive and active. Was he never happy with the power he had? Did he have to control everything? "Someone else? What do you mean Kraden?" Rief had told her all about his companions, and of their quest up to causing the Grave Eclipse. She was a bit surprised that little (though that adjective no longer seemed appropriate) Eoleo was part of their group, but she knew first hand that heroes could come from odd places.

"You, of course, remember Tret and Laurel, correct? The holy trees of Kolima?" Kraden asked, trying to jog her memory. It wasn't needed, she recalled that mission very clearly.

"Yes, Rief said they met him again." She said with a curious gaze. "And that he knew who the children were related to out of Isaac and us."

Kraden nodded. "What Rief didn't tell you, because he likely didn't understand the truth of it all, is what Tret said to Amiti, the prince of Ayuthay. The child was fathered by a powerful Mercury Adept who was absent for all of his life. But more importantly, Amiti is related to you Mia. Which means it is very likely..."

"That he is Alex's son. There is no other truth. Alex, aside from my children, is the last of my 'family'." She spoke, swirling her tea slightly. "Does he know? Prince Amiti?"

Kraden shook his head. "I do not believe so. Though he must have his guesses."

Mia just looked down at her cup. _Oh Alex, what are you doing now?_

* * *

><p>Hunting had gone surprisingly well, Magnus thought to himself. He started returning to camp with three white rabbits in toe. As he did, he started thinking about what to do with the prince. He should probably discuss it with him while the food was cooking.<p>

General Alastor trying to kill the royal family, it didn't make any sense. The man was the most devoted knight he'd ever seen, and to think that he would betray all of his vows...and for what? Some revenge on Morgal? His dislike for Beastmen was well known in the citizenry, but he'd still been a fair and just soldier. This wasn't right, something was not as it should be.

And then Magnus smelled something. Smoke, thick smoke. He looked up to the horizon, and saw a thick plume of darkness rising from the ground into the clouds. He took off at a run, desperate to find out what had happened.

His arrival was slightly anti-climactic. Eli stood there, standing over the smoking fire utterly bewildered. A pile of splintered and torn wood to his side. Magnus knew what the problem was instantly, and slapped his forehead. "Don't use living wood! It smokes too much!" He reprimanded, running forward to stamp out the fire. "We aren't the only ones in this area, and we don't want to draw any un-desired..." A series of cackles and low hisses filled the air, as Magnus turned around to see several pairs of beady yellow eyes.

"Attention..."

Chaos erupted around them rapidly. As the goblin warriors began to swarm down on the camp, Magnus pulled out his lance and began surveying the attacking horde. Goblins weren't well known for being particularly strong, just numerous. All they needed to do was cause enough losses and they would run, looking for easier prey.

Eli, however, was much less composed. With only the light of the moon and the dying embers of the fire, he saw an enemy in every shadow. He grasped at his sword and pulled, the blade becoming stuck on the sheath from his panicked pull. He stumbled back, trying again to remove the sword from it's home, to brandish it against the numerous enemies.

Magnus had begun the fight in earnest, and his training did pay off. The self taught style of the Goblins was no match for the trained discipline of a knight, and he easily felled four of them before they were even able to close with him. Spears did have their advantages. In the opening of the melee, he had impaled one through the chest, two others in the leg, and blinded one with a thrust to the eye. If things continued like this, they would win without a problem! He spared a glance towards Eli, and his blood ran cold almost instantly. The prince was not faring anywhere near as well as his guard was, and already he had two of the monsters tackling him to the ground and half restraining his struggling body. One of them went for it's blade, preparing to end the Prince's journey.

And then a flurry of flesh and metal. Without thought for his own safety or well-being,

Magnus charged into the fray. He slammed one with his shoulder, sending it sprawling, and brought his lance around, braining the one that had been trying to hold the prince. With a loud shout from the brush, the assault began to pull back. They hadn't been counting for a fight, and were more then eager to run from it now. Maybe they'd go find a merchant or some peasant around here, easier prey.

Magnus wiped the sweat from his brow as he extended a hand to Eli, with a smile that very clearly said 'Told you so'. With a slight grin, Eli took hold of Magnus, and pulled himself up.

Or rather, he tried to. Eli was surprised when instead, he pulled Magnus down. The armored soldier fell upon him, causing Eli to groan in pain.

"H-Hey! What's the big..." And then he saw Magnus' pale face. Wait, what? He'd decimated those goblins! How could he be this badly injured? Eli did spot a small slice in the guard's tunic, but the wound underneath it, barely a scratch, was obviously badly infected. The skin around it was purple, and the ring of darkness surrounding the wound was spreading outward. What was this? Some kind of infection? Or...yes! He'd remembered Magnus telling him that some monsters used poisoned weapons! He'd probably brought some antidotes with him, Magnus was good at planning for things like that. He didn't waste any more time, reaching down and opening the pouch. He pulled out all of the herbs and ointments he could find, and then stared at them. Nothing was labeled...and he had no idea what it looked like!

Green herbs, red herbs, blue herbs. Potions and salves, powders and all sorts of curatives. But Elindow had no idea what any of it did. And he knew enough about medicine to know that messing with it could cause some bad things to happen. If only Magnus was still conscious, he could tell him what to use! But what should he do?! He had no idea what any of it was or could do! If he took a guess, he might just kill him outright.

Elindow placed his hands on Magnus' chest, feeling for a pulse. He didn't know how to take it from the wrist, so he just checked if his heart was beating. Slowly, but beating. And then, he felt something. Like power was just...leaving him. His head felt fuzzy...a brief pain shot through it, and then nothing. He shook his head slightly, trying to clear his mind, but became quickly aware of he steadying of Magnus' heartbeat.

"Urrghh...what's...going on...?" He groaned, squinting his eyes, but not moving.

"Ah, thank the gods you are awake! I think you have been poisoned, but I do not know what the antidote looks like. Please, I need your help."

Magnus would have laughed, if he wasn't in mortal danger. "Plant...blue petals. Mash it up and c-coat the wound."

Magnus felt the ointment applied a few moments later, and regained some clarity of thought. His vision still swam, and he was plenty weak. The immediate danger had passed, but Magnus could feel that this wasn't a normal toxin. This would only be a temporary solution.

"W..We're teaching you about the i-items later.." He said, managing a half smile. This had proved to be an interesting evening.

Eli spotted the three rabbits that had been discarded when the fight broke out, and went over to the dying fire, trying to re-kindle it with _dry_ wood this time. "I'm...not the best cook, but I'll try. You'll need some..."

How Magnus had the energy to laugh, he didn't know. "Just...try not to burn it too bad, I don't think I have the strength to chew charcoal."

Eli rolled his eyes and set to work. This was going to be an interesting trip, and a short one if he didn't get Magnus back into full form. He could make due for tonight, but without the soldiers experience and knowledge, there was no way he would make it on his own.

It is a good thing they were headed to the home of the best healers in all of Weyard.

* * *

><p>I have some issues with this one (Namely that Rief didn't really talk a lot in it, but I am still hammering out his personality) but I need to move past this before I can get to the stuff I want to write. The next few chapters should be much more enjoyable, when I finally get to them. I hope you all had a good Thanksgiving, and remember to read and review!<p> 


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